“Vote No On Question 3’’ signs are posted on a number of area lawns, referring to Question 3 on the Maine ballot, the universal background check initiative. On the surface, many (not all) voters have no problem with its apparent intent to require background checks on those purchasing guns through private sales.

If you buy a gun from a licensed dealer at the present time, you’re required to undergo a background check to make sure there are no laws prohibiting you from gun ownership. While some gun owners feel this is already an infringement on their constitutional right to own guns, it’s currently the law.

Question 3 proponents argue that passage of this law will close “loopholes’’ to ensure that criminals can’t buy guns through a private sale without a background check.  Just how we’re supposed to monitor these sales isn’t clear. It would be interesting to know just how they plan to pull it off. Sounds impossible to us.

We married into a hunting family. Almost everyone – fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, nephews and even quite a few of the women, hunted. In November, during deer hunting season, everyone hoped to fill his or her tag and put much-needed meat in the freezer. Rabbits, squirrels, partridge, ducks and other game likewise meant food for the table. It was not uncommon then, nor is it today, for family members to swap guns on occasion for the day, for a special hunting trip, or some other reason. This new law would make a number of these sharing opportunities illegal or downright complicated. This bill implies it would really be no problem, but we don’t think that’s the case at all and many law-abiding hunters and gun owners would either have to follow ridiculous guidelines or risk breaking the law. Having to fill out papers every time you loan your gun, even for a day, and then having to fill out even more paperwork whenit’s returned, isn’t something a lot of hunters are going to bother to do.

Questions 3’s main goal, or so it appears on the surface, is to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.Do they really think it’s going to stop criminals from buying guns? Are you kidding? They can buy a gun anytime they want, and it doesn’t much matter to them if it’s by legal or illegal means. Ask any pot smoker how hard it is for them to purchase illegal marijuana or any other drug. There’s always a black market for just about anything.

It’s easy to understand why Question 3 appears to many hunters and other Maine residents to be just one more attempt to make life miserable for gun owners. It will be interesting to see how many voters buy into the propaganda that it’s going to stop criminals from obtaining guns.Long-time Mainers know better.